Double-end pencil



Aug. 12, 1930. c. R. KEERRN 1,772,868

DOUBLE END .PENCIL Filed March 5, 1923 Patented Aug. 12, 1930 ITED srAss CHARLES It. KEERAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOIPOINT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DOUBLE-END PENCIL Application filed March 5, 1923. Serial No. 622,719.

Myinvention relates to automatic pencils and particularly to a double point or reversible end pencil havinga number of advantages.

It is necessary and desirable in certain offices to utilize pencils having leads of dif ferent colors or of different degrees of hardness and it has heretofore been necessary to provide two. pencils in order to accomplish this result. However, in the pencil herein described the result is secured in an integral structure and in order to produce an article of no greater length than pencils commonly employed and still utilize leads of full length, I have devised the structure in which the plungers of the lead propelling mechanisms lie in side-by-side overlapped relation. In the particular construction here illustrated, the lead propelling mechanism comprises a threaded tube fixed to and axially arranged in the tip, and a plunger in threaded engagement with-the tube and projecting rearwardly therefrom. Thus the tip including the complete lead propelling mechanism is rotatable on and removable bodily from the pencil barrel or body. Inasmuch as the plungers must be of greater length than the leads employed, the use of said structure in a double end pencil would result in increased length unless provision were made for overlapping plungers in the pencil body. However, this overlapping relation would not be posible exceptfor the peculiar construction by means of which certain freedom of movement of the plungers relative to the tip is permitted. Presumably the attached threaded tube is axially arranged relative ,to the tip and. if the structure were rigid and each plunger were: exactly. axial relative to the tip, it is apparent that it would be impossible to However, the

structure is of such form relative to flexibility and clearance as to enable efficient operation even though the guideways are at their inner ends somewhat eccentric of the body.

The invention will be more readily under- 7 stood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation n full size of a pencil constructed in accordance with my invention; p

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures a, 5, 6, and7 are similar sectional views through modified formsofguideway constructions Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through a modified form in which a metal body is employed;

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a sectional View on the line 1010 of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a sectional view through a modified construction, the modification being in the form of'the lead magazine.

Figure 12 is an elevation of the tubular interior member of the metal pencil shown in Figure 8.

1n the drawings it will be seen that the invention comprises, in the preferred construction, a body 15 composed of a material such as vredmanol. Projecting inwardly from each end is an axial opening 16, which opening at the end of the body is concentricbut becomes eccentric at points progressively further inwardly, and this enables the provision of a pair of side by side, overlapping guideways 17, 18, which are non-circular in crosssection as shown in Figure 3. Fitted to the" tain a lead, indicated at 22. The lead propelling plunger 23 is of considerable length and is provided at its forward end with threads 24-- and at its rearward end with a flattened portion 25 fitting a guideway in the body. Thus it will be seen that upon relative rotation of the tip and body, the plunger being held against rotation, it is caused to advance or retreat according to the direction of rotation. The tube and plunger, while constructed of material sufficiently stiff to effect the advance of the leads, are at the same time sufficiently flexible to accommodate themselves to the slight eccentricity of the other guideway is molded in the material In the construction of Figure 6, the two openings 30, 31, are formed by a single strip bent into the shape of a figure 8, while in Figure 7 the guideways 32, 33, are formed by a single tube 34, the middle portions of which are depressed.

In the construction of Figures 8, 9, and 10 a metal body 85 is utilized, the tips being fitted thereon in the usual manner. However, the guideways are formed by a separate tubular structure shown in elevation in Fig are 12, and in sectionin Figure 8, said structure comprising axial tubular portions 36, 37 and overlapping non-circular guideways 38 and 39 with which the plungers cooperate as described. The ends of the concentric portions 37 are crimped over a circular end wall 40 having an aperture 41 therein. A partial wall 42 is provided which serves as a closure for the opening 41. \Vhen a lead is to be inserted or removed the disk 40 is rotated until the opening 41 registers with the magazine space. This construction is duplicated at both ends, the chamber being intermediately divided by means of a wall 43.

In a modified construction, as shown in Figure 11, the magazine is formed by dividing the double chamber longitudinally as by the web 44. Leads of different characters may therefore be retained in the separate chambers or magazines.

It will be noted that a desirable construction is possible only because of the characteristic of removability of the tip and leadpropelling mechanism as a unit. The cooperation of the respective mechanisms is in the positioning thereof in the pencil body and as the result of this cooperation the desired result is secured; that is a double end automatic pencil of standard length adapted to utilize full length leads.

One of the important advantages in the construction proposed is the ease with which a distinguishing mark may be applied to one of the tips in order to identify the color of the lead served from that tip. As indicated in Figure 1 the right hand end tip is colored red although different distinguishing or identifying means may be employed; for example one tip may be corrugated or made hexagonal in cross section.

Obviously the construction is capable of substantial modification and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pencil of the character described a body provided with a tip portion having a lead support and outlet concentrically arranged with reference to the body, and propelling means for said lead including a plunger and means cooperatively associated therewith whereby the outer end of the plunger will exert a substantiafly straight propelling movement to the lead, the plunger being flexible intermediate of its ends, and the body having therein a guideway for the inner end portion of the plunger off-center to be eccentrically disposed relative to the concentrically arranged lead outlet so that in the movement of the plunger it will accommodate itself to the travel from its offcenter position to the concentric lead propelling position and leave a substantial portion of the body at the side of the eccentric guideway for the reception of other mechanism thereby obviating substantial enlargement of the body therefor.

2. In a pencil of the character described a body, tips at opposite ends thereof, each having a lead support and guide outlet arranged concentrically with reference to the body, and means for propelling leads through the tip portions comprising plungers and instrumentalities cooperatively associated therewith to cause the outer ends of the plungers to impart a substantially straight propelling movement of the leads, the body having elongated guideways therein for the inner end portions of the plungers, said guideways being disposed for a substantial portion of their length in overlapped relation to accommodate normal full length plungers thereby obviating substantial elongation of the body.

3. In a pencil of the character described a body, tips at opposite ends thereof, each having a lead support and guide outlets arranged concentrically with reference to the body, and means for propelling leads through the tip portions comprising plungers and instrum'entalities cooperatively associated therewith to cause the outer ends of the plungers to impart a substantially straight propelling movement of the leads, the body having elongated guideways therein for the inner end portions of the plungers, said guideways be ing disposed for a substantial portion of their length in side by side relation to accommodate normal full length plungers thereby obviating substantial elongation of the body, said guideways being eccentrically'disposed relative to the concentrically arranged lead guide and outlets, and the plungers being flexible intermediate of their ends to permit them to accommodate themselves in their movement from their eccentric position to their concentric propelling position.

4. In a pencil of the character described a body, tips at opposite ends thereof, each having a lead support and guide outlets arranged concentrically with reference to the body, and means for propelling leads through the tip portions comprising plungers and instrumentalities cooperatively associated therewith to cause the outer ends of the plungers to impart a substantially straight propelling movement of the leads, the body having elongated guideways therein for the inner end portions of the plungers, said guideWa-ys be- 1 ing disposed for a substantial portion of their length in side by side relation to accommodate normal full length plungers thereby obviating substantial elongation of the body, said guideways being eccentrically disposed rela- 1; tive to the concentrically arranged lead guide and outlets, and the plungers being flexible intermediate of their ends to permit them to accommodate themselves in their movement from their eccentric position to their concen- 29 trio propelling position, and the inner end of each guideway terminating substantially short of the cooperating lead propelling instrumentalities thereby obviating substantial increase in the size of the body.

. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 3rd day of March, 1923;

CHARLES R. KEERAN. 

